Browns fire Eric Mangini

Last year, Eric Mangini’s Browns won their final four games to go 5-11. He was retained. This year, he lost his final four games to go 5-11. The Browns officially fired him Monday.

“This decision was not easy for me, and it was one into which I put a great deal of thought,” said Browns President Mike Holmgren. “Although we have made improvements this season, my responsibility is to ensure that we establish a program that will allow this team to compete at a championship level.”

Holmgren thanked Mangini for his work. We’d argue that Mangini may have had his best season as a head coach, as the Browns were better than their record indicated and maxed out their talent. They were certainly improved over 2009.

“The experience coaching the Cleveland Browns the past two years has been tremendous,” Mangini said. “I appreciate the opportunity that the Lerner family gave me. I have a deep respect for the players that I have coached the past two years and how they have made a profound difference in changing the culture – a tougher, smarter, more competitive, selfless team that never gave up.

“Our goal was to build a team for long term success. The core characteristics we were dedicated to, I believe, will help achieve that goal, and have provided a strong identity for this football team and have helped to create a positive foundation upon which the organization can continue to build.”

These press release quotes are usually empty, but a lot of what Mangini said is true. We think the next coach will benefit from some of the improvements Mangini made.

Well, what now Brownies?? We see growth, but not enough for sure. Like what he did or not, let’s admit the obvious. Mangini was not a Holmgren choice and as he said, it’s all on Holmgren to bring the Browns back to a Championship level. I do think
Gruden would do wonders for this team.

The right move…period…The 2009 draft and all the trades he made his first yr was probably the worst in any yr for a professional franchise.that was his own doing and set himself up for failure.He deserved to get fired for that and all the other little things…..but on the other hand if Marty M is Holmgrens choice it is the wrong move and all levels

17 starting QBs since 1999, 5 coaches, averaging every two years a new coach…

the worse stat:

Holmgren… a superbowl appearance.. a as in singular.. as in ‘ONE”… lol, and he lost to… ha… even a bigger shut up line… the Stillers ha…
the Seahawks #1 receiver in that game didn’t even catch a pass until the 3rd quarter… !
How long was he in Seattle?

The Browns fans are idiots for supporting such a losing product… then again thats Ohio, same for Bengals..

Cleveland would be better off.. closing.. changing the name to Annex West.. (of Pittsburgh)..
Burn the brown colors and put on the ‘dark’ side of Black (and Gold).

Fools… yeah… the Stadium even announced as the Browns were getting their butts kicked …to buy tickets for next year ! lol…
Just keep drinking their cool-aid Cleveland.. was Fortune Magazine right about a ‘loser’ city ! lol

Only 1 super bowl appearance for Holmgren? Don’t forget his time in Green Bay as head coach (1992-1998). He won two NFC championships (96,97) and a Super Bowl with the Packers in 96. He’s more qualified than many other GM’s in the league.

I wanted Gruden to coach this team two years ago. Friggin Lerner pulled the Mangini trigger too quick. Mangini has built a nice foundation, but I don’t see him being able to go over the hump. Too many dumb game day goofs and lack of adjustments. He out thinks himself.

And speaking of shut up lines. The Steeler fans cheer for a guy that beat his girlfriend and a guy that was accused of rape. Win or lose. We can be proud of the team we are building. The ravens may be the old browns, but you are the new ravens.

Important Grievance: All I wrote was rat, why was my post deleted and not others that say rat? This is some seriously unequal treatment man.

and What’s Wrong With That? This guy is a rat.

This guy has been living off of Bill Belichick for almost a decade now. What has he ever won on his own? What has he ever won? Nothing. He can’t lead men. He didn’t have a good season. They went 5-11 again. He never got a talented WR to replace Edwards. That offense has done nothing but get worse. He squandered away a fantastic year by an overly talented offensive line. The defense could hit people in the mouth, but the Rat couldn’t guide it for 17 weeks. This team consistently got worse every month. Talk about being stuck in reverse. Outside of 2 improbably wins vs the Saints and the Patriots, they scored near to no points. He was fired because he stinks and isnt very good at his job. he also happens to treat people poorly. anyone remember him making his rookies sit through like an 18 bus ride in the dead of summer for no reason. he stabbed the man who gave him everything in the back twice. twice. the first time was leaving the way he did. the second was the tatletailing about in game signals that every 32 teams in the league steals, half with video and half with notebooks like old Colts offensive lines coach Howard Mudd.

All I’m saying is that a idiot could have lead this team to a 6-10 record and that this loser Mangini couldnt even muster that.

@geezohman – You do realize that Mike Holmgren did have a career before coaching the Seahawks where he took the Packers (or more accurately Brett Favre took the Packers) to the Super Bowl and won once. In other words, he had more than “A” super bowl appearance.

Eric is a very talented guy, but I think it would be a mistake for any team to give him another headcoaching gig at this point.

He was only a so-so DC for ONE year at the Patriots before getting the JETS job.

To his credit, even after all the losing in Cleveland, he still has alot of supporters – fans and players. He is doing something right. However, he is not, at least at this point, headcoaching material.

The biggest mistake Mangini made was jumping into this impossible job to begin with. Randy Lerner offered the whole ball of wax to the first guy who was willing to take it so he could ignore the team like he really wants to and it blew up in everyone’s face. Mangini was overmatched, the players still were at the bottom of the talent level bin and the Cleveland fans, who are as passionate as any in the league, were given more chicken crap and told to pretend is was chicken salad. The problem with the Browns is the current ownership, and that goes back to 1999. I think Holmgren knows it and told Lerner that he needed to butt the hell out and let him fix things. So look for a Holmgren crony who is willing to be his puppet for the chance to be an NFL head coach again.

And speaking of shut up lines. The Steeler fans cheer for a guy that beat his girlfriend and a guy that was accused of rape. Win or lose. We can be proud of the team we are building. The ravens may be the old browns, but you are the new ravens.

I don’t see Gruden going to Cleveland. It doesn’t seem like his kind of team. Then again, I’m partial. I’d love to see him in Dallas, but if I am to believe the rumors, Garrett has already been locked in. It could be a looooooong offseason.

yeah… accused of rape… by a drunk ‘babe’ underage… don’t see the Dad pressing charges…
yeah… bad taste in ‘ho’s’ but who is the bigger ‘ho’? … how about a Browns fan that listens to the pimps… posing as Coaches in Cleveland…(and owners)…

Brian Daboll cost Mangini his job, pure and simple. Holmgren provided assistance to Mangini, even offering the services of his old OC, but Daboll got his nose out of joint about it and Mangini stuck by his dude. Go figure. He jabs his mentor (Bill Belichick) in the back, but goes to the mat for an untested, wannebe twerpt like Daboll. Goes to show you never can tell. Cleveland Browns, meet the West Coast offense. Can’t be worse than what we’ve seen under premier OCs such as Maurice Carthon, “Chud” Chudzinski, and Brian the Nerd Daboll.

@buckfigben:
so what about your DT taking loaded weapons onto an airplane and pulling the “I didnt know it was there” line.
and ummm, heard of Jim Brown and his exploits….OFF the field, particularly as it relates to domestic violence???
and your boy Braylon Edwards? picking a fight with a 140lb Lebron groupie?
and wasnt reuben Droughns on your team for a while too?
was that my glass house shattering or yours?

they’re people with issues just like the rest of the world. we just happen to enjoy watching them work. do you heckle all domestic abusers at their place of work? domestic abuser or not, i dont want to support his ass with my tax dollars, so i say let ’em work.
there’s no getting through to you ben haters, so why bother? I wont shut the door forever though. we can talk when you have facts and/or evidence to support your position.
i love how people become experts on character because of what they read/hear in the media. if we didnt have this obsessive 24hr news cycle, you guys wouldnt have any idea what kind of people these guys are. Peyton Manning could be running a prostitution ring and we wouldnt know about it til it got reported.

If he takes the job at Cleveland he would have to surrender his money? I dont know if he would be willing to do that and also I am not sure Cleveland would be willing to pick up his tab to carry his ass.

MOST IMPORTANT

“CHUCKY”
is nothing short of a complete control freak. Brotherman wanted to be the coach and GM at Tampa, this is while he took Dungees team, won the super bowl then went down hill afterwards with them .
He also disgusted the Player rep from Tampa to the point he left and went to Alanta.
Numerous “C” blocks against vets (Sap, Galloway, Lynch)… bad blood very bad blood

Over all Gruden is NOT the pick for the Cleveland Browns or ANY N.F.L. team

@buckfigben:
so what about your DT taking loaded weapons onto an airplane and pulling the “I didnt know it was there” line.
and ummm, heard of Jim Brown and his exploits….OFF the field, particularly as it relates to domestic violence???
and your boy Braylon Edwards? picking a fight with a 140lb Lebron groupie?
and wasnt reuben Droughns on your team for a while too?
was that my glass house shattering or yours?

they’re people with issues just like the rest of the world. we just happen to enjoy watching them work. do you heckle all domestic abusers at their place of work? domestic abuser or not, i dont want to support his ass with my tax dollars, so i say let ‘em work.
there’s no getting through to you ben haters, so why bother? I wont shut the door forever though. we can talk when you have facts and/or evidence to support your position.
i love how people become experts on character because of what they read/hear in the media. if we didnt have this obsessive 24hr news cycle, you guys wouldnt have any idea what kind of people these guys are. Peyton Manning could be running a prostitution ring and we wouldnt know about it til it got reported.
__________________________________

I dont disagree with your position, or your point about Big Ben, I have made my fair share of Big Ben jokes (all fans enjoy taking cheap shots at their opposition, etc). However, remove “Big Ben” from your argument, and replace it with “Bill Bellichick/Spygate” just for fun. Do you still feel the same way????

Bellichick is as guilty as sin when it comes to the violation of the rules. Filming from the sidelines wasnt allowed, and he got caught. He earned all of the wise cracks from opposing team fans, as did Big Ben, but no one can prove how much, or how little taping signals from the sidelines helped them. We can all presume, but no one has been able to use “facts” to prove that it was the difference maker, and/or the reason for 3 SB rings…just saying. Steelers fans have as much, if not more passion than any other fan base, in any sport. I can appreciate that, but that passion means they are the first to chirp about something, and the first to get butt hurt when someone chirps back.

Steelers fans have been harping on Ray Lewis “the murderer” for 10 years. There is just as much evidence the Ray is guilty, as there is to suggest Ben is guilty, yet, all of your arguments in support of Ben, are some how not valid when Ravens fans use them???? And Patriots fans use them???? Etc…

Hilarious!!–Steelers rub it Holmgrens mug.. up 31-3 they dial up the Randle el to Hines TD..The same play that buried The Walrus in Super Bowl XL…That’s what ya get for whining like a 3rd grade girl the last 6 yrs…

@semperfi:
i cant speak for all of steeler nation, but I, for one, dont believe for a minute that bellichick was the only one taping signals etc. he was the only one who was caught (and only because Mangini snitched). if they won their SBs doing it, then more power to them i guess. if true, they’re the ones who have to live with tainted championships. taping signals doesnt help Troy Brown return a punt and recover and score a blocked field goal. we got beat all on our own…and continue to prove it when we play the brady-led pats.

now on to your point about Ray Ray and Ben. NOT EVEN CLOSE sir. Ray was ARRESTED, CHARGED, and had to plead out (i would assume due to the existence of credible evidence) to avoid jail if memory serves correctly. Ben was NEVER arrested, NEVER charged, and certainly was NEVER facing a trial (due to the non-existence of any credible evidence). apples and oranges my friend.
i can enjoy a descent ‘tongue-in-cheek’ joke now and again, but some of these hacks are serious. they’re the ones i used to focus my “support of ben” on.

semperfi24 said: Steelers fans have as much, if not more passion than any other fan base, in any sport. I can appreciate that, but that passion means they are the first to chirp about something, and the first to get butt hurt when someone chirps back.

dynasty, point taken about Lewis, it is apples and oranges, but the over all point is, everyone uses the same arguments. No matter what the story. Today some will argue the taping of signals was a huge advantage, and the evidence is in the fine. No one really knows that. Pats fans cant prove that they didnt get an advantage, and since it becomes 31 fanbases vs 1, the larger group will declare victory, and continue to make the same stupid comments you mention. I love a good belichick joke, but c’mon fans, we can come up with something new, right?

mborz, I also agree with you, every fan base acts the same way. From the perspective of a pats fan, for 3 years 31 fan bases have done nothing but harp on “violating league rules=cheating”. So when another team does something like “the Alosi wall”, or taping the Niners walk through, or violating the salary cap, it is finally the Pats’ fans turn at slinging accusations of cheating, lol. Pats fans dont actually care. As a NASCAR fan (no, i’m not a redneck, lol), the saying is, “if you aint cheating, you aint trying”. I chalk up what Belichick did, and what every other team does (some form, maybe not signals, but talking to players under contract with another team, things like that), as simply trying to leave no stone unturned to gain an advantage. The larger problem is that no one seems to really give a damn when a team “violates rules” unless it is NE. If BB wipes his ass sideways there is a special breaking news report on ESPN for 2 weeks, they have reports outside the team facility reporting on the possibility that he has wiped his ass side ways on multiple occasions, LMFAO. But when the shoe is on the other foot, no one seems to care

Can’t think of anything more infantile than using issues such as rape and murder for smack talk. And the only thing comparable about the Lewis, Roethlisberger, and Spygate cases is there’s nothing smack-worthy in any of them.

Roethlisberger was an egomaniacal jackass, but there was definitive evidence with both accusations that he was falsely accused. In Spygate, Belichick was guilty but of something that had been allowed by the NFL five minutes earlier. His “crime” was failing to follow the new rule. Like many young athletes, Lewis was still tied to bad companions from his old life and used poor judgment. But there’s no reason to believe he did anything more malicious than cover for others, and he later rectified the situation.

My new year’s wish is that everyone here would grow up and smack talk about football instead of subjects that aren’t funny. But it’s a futile wish.

Well, Browns fans, as a Steelers fan, I’d like to see our old nemesis competitive again. Just don’t know who can make that happen.

Holmgren is all West Coast offense–and he must think Colt can do that for you. I’m skeptical about Gruden, though. Not sure he can work with Holmgren, and his players in Tampa thought he threw them under the bus … and backed over them. So I don’t really trust him. Cowher won’t coach for Holmgren and he won’t coach in the AFC North.

Personally, I’d promote Ryan. Then Holmgren can bring in an OC that meets his specs and do his own QB guru thing with Colt.

America’s education system is a failure. They teach how to take a test rather than critical thinking skills or ‘debate’ class.

Intelligent conversation does NOT include name calling for example.

What web sites need to do to promote this would be to ‘censor’ certain people’s comments as soon as they start ‘swearing’ etc.

That would assist better conversation. At another web site I pulled a quote right from an Ohio newspaper about the Browns being the team besides Detriot not making playoffs since whenver. I was immediately chastised for it even though I then copied the source and showed your own HOME TOWN newspaper can’t get it right ! lol

The trouble with certain fans is they totally drink their team cool-aid without acknowledging their weakness. Open minded would help and the data shows:
losing seasons, 5 coaches average just every two years. 17 quarterbacks… and the reply:
next year !

me… I love heckling them to respond to where even a guy bragging about a Masters Degree from THE ohio state into name calling.

Stillers kicked their butt yesterday, their ‘true’ fans left at half time, SAD when more Steeler fans are there than their paying fan base.

Lerner will just have to sell the team, make millions and hire more management to do the talking… so more Brown fans can keep shoveling out the money ! lol

Jersey printing companies are making a lot from Tim Couch jerseys right up to McCoy this year. 17 in total

You ass-sore Pats fans are a joke. How spoiled are you that you still hate this guy? Instead of enjoying a great team, you still piss and moan about Mangini.

As for you Browns fans, you’re getting what you deserve. All I hear from you people is what great hardcore fans you supposedly are. What crap. All you do is make RAC fat jokes (grow up), cheer your own players’ injuries, and run your coaches out of town. Oh, and run down other teams’ fans as front runners and fair weather fans. Nobody’s great fans like YOU GUYS! Yeah, right.

Mangini’s a good coach and will do well in the future. You can’t turn around a team like the Browns in two years. It’s a shame you guys haven’t learned that since the team came back.

And I see you’re still on the Brian Daboll kick. Yeah, you guys like running o-coordinators out of town, too. Amazing what offensive geniuses you guys are!

And you aren’t getting Jon Gruden or any other big name. Who wants to ruin their career by taking this job? It’s nothing but a black mark on a resume now.

No, you’ll get some second-tier guy and run him out of town by 2013, all the while proclaiming how you “demand the best” and “are tough to please”.

Scapegoating: What Browns fans do best. Easily the worst fans in the NFL. Congrats on being #1!

DA was right: you don’t deserve a winner. In fact, you don’t deserve a team at all.

While we’re at it, who do you think the Browns will consider in 2012? I figure Mangini’s replacement will survive the upcoming season since it will be his first. But in 2012 when the Browns fail to win more than 5 games he will need to be replaced.

I hope they start interviewing for that spot once they hire Mangini’s replacement. Why wait ’til last minute?

Holmgren is dumber than a bag full of dog biscuits if he hires any of these bums like Fewell, Morningweg, Shermer or the like over Gruden. The people in Cleveland love Gruden and he would be the biggest thing in Cleveland since Lebron left town. The Browns need a gutsy leader that they havent had since the days of Marty. Gruden is the man.